There are stories up around North-Central Victoria and even right across the country of black shoots. One story comes to mind. A man who used to go to church in regional Victoria many years ago. On his death bed spoke to an Aboriginal pastor. He told of how after church on Sunday, the men from Full Article…

First contact may have been peaceful. But it wasn’t long before there was a lot of resistance around Moira station. It’s well documented in books such as ‘The Black Resistance’. More than flare-ups, there were planned attacks on Moira Station and other surrounding stations. Many sheep and cattle were killed in an attempt to persuade Full Article…

Of all the matriarchs in recent Indigenous history, few are more significant than Kitty. She was the Mother of William Cooper, was born in the early to mid 1820s, before settlement, or white settlement in that area. Kitty was from the Wollithiga or Wallithica Tribe. Kitty, it is said, was born near the Moira Lakes, Full Article…

In his book, ‘Recollections of Squatting in Victoria’ which was written in 1883, Edward Curr says he knew each member of the Bangerang tribe. These are the people now known as the Yorta Yorta. This being the case he would certainly have met Nan Kitty, the mother of William Cooper. She would have been in Full Article…

One of the most famous names in the Indigenous community – from Cummeragunja right up to Yarrabah – is Atkinson. And many of them, probably, link back to one man. James John Oldbury Atkinson, known as John Oldbury Atkinson, came to Moira Station in 1843 and became the overseer of the station for the next Full Article…

William Cooper fully identified as an Aboriginal man. But he never denied that he was also “European.” He was very much aware of his heritage on both sides. William was the son of Kitty. Her surname was, sometimes Atkinson, sometimes Cooper. She was earlier known as Kitty Lewis possibly because of the original owner of Full Article…

Almost everybody thought Alick Jackomos was a black fella. Probably Yorta Yorta. His wife was. His kids were. And with his olive skin and broad cheeks, he looked the part. More importantly, he sounded Aboriginal and thought Aboriginal. But he was actually a good Greek kid from Carlton. But the reason he was so deep Full Article…

If anyone had reason to be steer clear of whitefellas, it was Douglas Nicholls. He’d seen respectable policemen take Koorie girls away from his community in Cummeragunja. His recollection, and a report in the Daily Telegraph on 13.2.1929 gave the troubling picture: One day in 1918, the manager of Cumeroogunga arranged with a Moama police Full Article…

History loves a hero. And Vincent Lingiari is the genuine article. While he could not read or write, he was able to wear down the establishment, without any use of arms. His battle was won purely by the power of words and ideas. It’s well known that Lingiari led the Wave Hill walk off. And Full Article…

A marvellous traveller, Ellen was born to Billy and Biddy Giles, Indigenous people who were local to the Georges River in the 1860s. Their married life – and, apparently, enjoyed easy interaction with white settlers. This positive contact seemed to have cascaded down to Ellen in the way she lived her life and started new Full Article…